WORTH IT
Analogue Pocket Handheld, Black
Updated
Game Boy carts on a 1600x1440 screen
Your old Game Boy carts on a far sharper screen. The catch: $239.99, and you need the carts.
7 out of 10 Overall
- Design 8 out of 10 Sharp screen and solid build, but heavy, with mushy shoulders and flimsy buttons
- Quality 7 out of 10 Untested by us. On paper, reviewers saw original-hardware accuracy
- Utility 7 out of 10 Great if you own carts, less so if you don't, and the extras cost more
$239.99
at Analogue
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Quick facts
Who it's for
Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance fans who still own their cartridges and want a sharper, backlit way to play them.
What it solves
Plays original Game Boy family cartridges on a high-res backlit screen with a rechargeable battery and save states, without emulation.
Pros
- Plays original GB, GBC and GBA cartridges in hardware, with no emulation
- Very sharp 1600x1440 screen, praised by The Verge and Ars Technica
- Ars Technica found accuracy matched original hardware in hundreds of games
- Save states, sleep mode and screenshots, even for cartridge games
- Adapters add Game Gear, Lynx, Neo Geo Pocket and TurboGrafx-16 carts
Cons
- $239.99 before games, a charger, a microSD card or the $99.99 Dock
- Mushy shoulder buttons and flimsy power and volume buttons, per Ars Technica
- Heavy at 276 g, and adapters make it much less pocketable
- Community cores need computer setup plus your own BIOS and game files
- The Dock, Adapter Set and charger were all out of stock on November 2, 2026
- Price $239.99 Black or White at analogue.co, checked November 2, 2026
- Screen 3.5 in, 1600x1440, 615 ppi 10x the resolution of an original Game Boy, per Analogue
- Plays GB, GBC and GBA cartridges Game Gear, Lynx, NGP and TG16 need adapters, sold separately
- Battery 6 to 10 hours (claimed) Ars Technica measured about 7 hours at 75% brightness
- Weight 276 g (9.7 oz) Ars Technica found it heavier than most Game Boys
- Hardware Two FPGAs, no emulation Recreates the original chips in hardware, not in software
Display 5
Games 6
Hardware 9
Accessories at analogue.co 7
Good to know
- We haven't tested the Pocket ourselves. This page is researched from Analogue's site and named reviews.
- $239.99 at analogue.co, checked November 2, 2026. The store says it ships in 24 to 48 hours, limit 2 per order.
- The Dock and Adapter Set ($99.99 each) were out of stock on November 2, 2026. Color and Aluminum editions were sold out.
- No games and no microSD card come with it. Playing without extra setup means original cartridges.
- Only a USB-C cable is in the box. There's no wall adapter, and Analogue's $19.99 charger was out of stock.
- Skip it if you don't own Game Boy carts. Engadget points to the Miyoo Mini Plus, at $60 to $80, for playing game files.
What's in the box 2
- Analogue Pocket
- USB-C cable
Specs checked November 2, 2026 against Analogue Pocket official page (specs) , Analogue store, Pocket Black (price, stock, in the box) , The Verge, Analogue Pocket review (Andrew Webster) , Ars Technica, Analogue Pocket review (Sam Machkovech) , Engadget, The best gaming handhelds for 2026 (Jeff Dunn) , Retro Game Corps, Analogue Pocket openFPGA guide (Russ) .
Why it's worth it
The Analogue Pocket is a clean way to play Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance cartridges you already own. It recreates the old hardware in FPGA chips and shows games on a 1600x1440 screen. The catch is cost: $239.99 buys the handheld and a USB-C cable, and the Dock and adapters cost extra and are often out of stock. If you don't own carts, a cheaper alternative like the Miyoo Mini Plus plays game files for far less.
The review
The Analogue Pocket is a handheld built to play original Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance cartridges. Instead of running emulator software, it recreates the old hardware in two FPGA chips and shows games on a 3.5-inch, 1600x1440 screen. We haven't tested it ourselves. This page draws on Analogue's own site (opens in a new tab), the Verge review (opens in a new tab) by Andrew Webster, the Ars Technica review (opens in a new tab) by Sam Machkovech and Engadget's handheld guide (opens in a new tab) by Jeff Dunn.
What it does well
The screen is the main draw. Both reviewers praised it, and at 615 ppi it has 10 times the resolution of an original Game Boy, per Analogue. Sam Machkovech found accuracy identical to original hardware across hundreds of games, and measured 7 hours and 9 minutes of play at 75% brightness, in line with Analogue's 6 to 10 hour rating. Andrew Webster called the D-pad "clicky and responsive" and liked the sleep mode, which lets you put a cartridge game down and pick it up later.
Where it falls short
- Price. $239.99 gets you the Pocket and a USB-C cable. No wall adapter, no microSD card and no games.
- Extras. The Dock and the Adapter Set cost $99.99 each and were out of stock on November 2, 2026. Andrew Webster found the Game Gear adapter makes the Pocket much less portable.
- Buttons. Sam Machkovech found the shoulder buttons mushy and the power and volume buttons flimsy. Andrew Webster's fingers cramped on the shoulder buttons in long sessions.
- Weight. Ars Technica weighed it at 276 g, heavier than most Game Boys, and found it bottom-heavy when playing lying down.
- Setup. Community openFPGA cores play other consoles from microSD, but Retro Game Corps (opens in a new tab) shows you install them from a computer and supply your own BIOS and game files. Its guide, last updated November 20, 2023, notes the SNES core lacked save states and sleep.
How it compares
Jeff Dunn at Engadget names the Pocket the best Game Boy-style handheld, and calls stock shortages its biggest flaw. If you don't own cartridges, the same guide suggests the Miyoo Mini Plus, which sells in the $60 to $80 range and emulates consoles up to the original PlayStation, though its software takes some tinkering and you supply the game files. Andrew Webster also pointed out that a Nintendo Switch Lite cost about the same when the Pocket launched.
Should you get it?
Yes, if you own a shelf of Game Boy, Game Boy Color or Game Boy Advance cartridges and want the sharpest, most faithful way to play them. Skip it if you don't own carts, you want many consoles in one cheap device, or you need the Dock right away. The Pocket costs $239.99 in Black or White at analogue.co, as of November 2, 2026.
Where to buy
$239.99 at Analogue
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